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| Former Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre received a petition against mandatory insurance during a rally in January |
By Daisy CL Mandap
A renewed push in the Philippines
for mandatory insurance coverage for all Filipino contract workers abroad has
come under fire from migrant groups in Hong Kong
who denounced it as another extortionist move by the government.
A consolidated bill tabled at the House of Representatives yesterday,
Nov. 19, creating the Department of Filipinos Overseas, provides for expanding
the coverage of mandatory insurance, essentially a life insurance, under RA
10022.
Section 46 of the draft legislation provides that compulsory
insurance “shall be expanded to cover all overseas Filipino workers, including
agency-hires, rehires, name hires or direct hires.”
The provision, which is supposed to promote better
protection for all OFWs, also states that the premium payment, which currently
amounts to USD144 (HK$1,120) per two-year contract for land-based workers, should
be made by the foreign employers.
No contracts will be verified by the labor attaché on site
(or a concerned consular official in his absence) without the paid insurance
coverage, and proof of payment will be made as a requirement for the issuance
of the overseas employment certificate (OEC).
Under RA 10022, only agency-hired OFWs leaving the country
for the first time are required to pay for the life insurance.
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Migrant groups in Hong Kong ,
including those under the newly formed coalition Rise Against Government
Exactions (Rage) say the measure will be another burden to OFWs who already
face other mandatory fees, including for SSS and Philhealth memberships.
Rage spokesperson Dolores Balladares-Pelaez said that
Filipino migrant workers will surely end up paying for the insurance premium
because employers already pay for high recruitment fees to hire them.
Apart from this, Hong Kong employers are already required by
their government to take out insurance on their foreign domestic helpers so it
is not likely they will agree to pay for a second coverage.
“For sure ang mga kababayan natin ang magbabayad niyan dahil
hindi ito babayaran ng employers. Worse, baka ma-terminate pa ang ating worker
kapag giniit niya na ang employer ang kailangang magbayad nito.”
The sentiment is shared by many members of the online group,
Domestic Workers Corner, who said the proposed fee is “sobra na,” citing the
mandatory SSS contribution already in place, and the compulsory Philhealth membership
due to take effect early next year.
“Patay tayo dyan,” said Elle Zue. “Pag pina shoulder yan sa amo malamang wala ng i-hire na
Pilipino. Nagkakagulo pa naman dito ngayon.”
Another, Lyn Fajardo, said, “Hindi po ako agree dyan dahil
hindi lahat ng amo sapat ang finances para mabayaran pa ang mandatory insurance
na yan....meron na kaming insurance dito, sapat na yon...”
Rain Ranin said: “Wala na...parang wag na lang mag abroad,
wala nang halaga ang perang pinaghirapan mo sa abroad.”
Another commenter, Leh Capuno said: “Big no. Gipit na nga
wala pang mandatory lalo pa kaya kung meron na ganyan. Mas lalo nila nilulubog
sa mga bayarin ang mga OFW. Ano pa ang ipapadala sa pamilya sa Pinas kung
ganito kalaki ang babayaran naming mga OFW?”
The same sentiment was shared by Liezl Balajadia who said, “Big
no. Hindi na nga makaipon dadagdag pa ng bayarin. Malayo na nga kami sa pamilya
namin ni scam nyo pa kami.”
Quipped another who goes by the nameYa Kc Ej: “Sunduin nyo
kaya ang nakaisip nito at sya ang magkuskos ng inidoro dito. Jusko lahat na
lang e..buti kung nagka emergency makukuha mo agad (pero) kailangan pang ikutin
ang Pilipinas sa requirements bago ma-release.”
But a few didn’t think the mandatory insurance was such a
bad idea. “Yes, dahil mga amo naman ang magbabayad e, hindi naman tayo,” said
Flordeliza Bibat.
“Opo, dapat sa employer kunin ang bayad hindi sa OFW,” said another
who goes by the name Ako Si Hans.
Expanded mandatory insurance was stealthily put into place
by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration through a Resolution issued
in August last year requiring employers or recruitment agents to pay for the
insurance coverage of both new and rehired OFWs.
Unifil quickly responded with a statement opposing the move,
and held a rally in January this year to call for the junking of the
resolution. More than 170 organizations reportedly backed the call.
Nothing more was heard about the POEA Resolution until now,
when it emerged that mandatory insurance has become part of a new legislation
creating the super body that will oversee the concerns of all Filipinos overseas.
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